


Absence

by YaminoBossBitch



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Consequences, Death, Family Issues, Gen, Genocide discussed, Grief/Mourning, Internalized Xenophobia, Internalized racism, Parent Death, Planet Vegeta, Racism, Wishes, Xenophobia, implied kakavege
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26407429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaminoBossBitch/pseuds/YaminoBossBitch
Summary: After Vegeta tells him off for having no connection to his Saiyan heritage, Goku makes a wish to bring back their former home planet. It turns out that bringing back a whole society comes with a lot more complications than he expected, however, and Goku is forced to make the most difficult and painful choice of his life.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Absence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kakabeji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kakabeji/gifts).



> CW: Canon character death, major character death, genocide discussed, xenophobia and internalized xenophobia, racism, internalized racism, parent death, and grief. Let me know if you need anything else tagged.

Vegeta tossed his gloves down. Almost the instant he stopped training for the day, the thoughts came creeping back into his head.

Thirty-three years ago.

“Vegeta? Vegeta? Hello?” Vegeta was brought to reality by Goku’s voice.

“What do you want?” He snapped.

“What’s with you? You’re so spacey today.”

Vegeta was silent. Normally he’d tell Goku to mind his own business, but today he was feeling somber.

“Today is the day Planet Vegeta was destroyed.” He said flatly.

“Really? Huh,” said Goku. “Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to do some extra sparring tonight? I’m trying to get the hang of Ultra Instinct, but—“

“Dammit, no! I don’t want to do extra sparring. Did you even hear what I said?”

“Which part?”

“There was only—the part where this is the anniversary of the destruction of our home planet!” Vegeta exploded.

“Oh, yeah. I heard that.”

“Typical. What else should I expect from you? You don’t give a damn about being a Saiyan!”

“What? Come on, that’s not true.”

“You don’t! You’ve never asked about our culture, our beliefs, hell, you’ve never even asked about your own parents!” Vegeta knew it was a stupid thing to be getting angry about, but the way Goku had been so dismissive got under his skin today.

“My...parents?”

“Or your brother. You killed Raditz and left him dead yet you showed me mercy? What kind of sense does that make? You consider yourself another Earthling, you have no pride! Now get away from me!”

He took off into the sky and left Goku standing there.

Goku wanted to brush it off as Vegeta being in a bad mood, but a some of the things he had said were bothering him.

His parents.

He honestly had tried not to think about them. In a way, he was almost afraid that it was disrespectful to his grandpa Gohan, like he was being erased. Plus, Goku was afraid that they were just as ruthless and violent as Raditz was. He didn’t want to know his parents if they were heartless killers.

But maybe they weren’t. And maybe even if they were, it wasn’t totally their fault. Vegeta learned to be a good person. Maybe they could too.

Maybe all the Saiyans could.

Before Goku realized that the idea had struck him, his fingers were on his forehead, seeking the energies of Earth.

Vegeta awoke alone in their shared room on Beerus’ world. He didn’t think much of it. He got up to get ready for the day. He was feeling a little better after the previous night, the anniversary of the day always hit him a little hard. But he was ready to get back to focusing on the present.

When he stepped out of the door, he almost walked face-first into Goku.

“Ugh, Kakarot, what do you want?” He grumbled.

“I have a surprise for you!” Goku said with a grin.

“What—“

Before Vegeta could react, Goku grabbed his hand and used his instant transmission technique.

The scent hit first.

Dusty air, reddish-brown soil, the dry heat. Vegeta looked around. Surely this was a dream. There were Saiyans everywhere, all of them meandering about in confusion. He turned to Goku, who had a broad, foolish grin on his face.

“Kakarot, what did you do?” He exploded.

“I wished Planet Vegeta back! Because you were all upset yesterday, and now this way I can learn about being a Saiyan and stuff!” Goku said this as if he was very proud of himself.

“What were you thinking? Look at all these people! They have no idea what’s going on, they’ve all been dead for 30 years! Are you crazy?”

“I guess I didn’t think about that.” Goku admitted with a laugh.

“Great. Who knows what chaos this is going to cause?” He growled. The crowd around them was getting more restless. “I’d better go explain the situation to my father before they start rioting.”

“Should I come with you?”

“No, clown, you’ve done enough already! Go find your parents.” Vegeta started to stomp away.

“Oh, yeah! Wait, what were their names again?” He asked. Vegeta paused. At first Goku thought he was angry again, but he was just trying to remember.

“Your father was named Bardock.” He said.

Goku, not knowing where else to start, began asking around. He was mostly brushed off, but eventually was pointed one way. He kept going, until:

“He’s right over there,” a woman said, pointing to a man standing near a shop. There was a woman next to him.

His parents.

Goku felt anxious as he stepped over to them.

“Um, are you...Bardock?”

“Who wants to know?” The man grumbled.

“My name’s Kakarot, and I think I’m your son.”

Vegeta stepped into the palace.

“Stop right there! You haven’t been summoned.” One of the guards barked.

“I’m the prince, you idiot. Check your scouter.” The guard did so, and went a little pale before his scouter sparked and died, unable to keep up with Vegeta’s power.

Vegeta stomped past him and into the throne room. His father was there. He stood when Vegeta entered.

“What’s going on? Who is this?” He barked.

“Don’t you recognize me, father?”

“V-Vegeta?”

“I’ve come to explain the situation.“

Goku sat down on the floor cushion. Bardock lay propped up by his elbow. His mother, Gine, was cooking stew in a massive pot.

“So, Kakarot, what exactly is going on here?” Bardock asked.

“It’s kind of a long story. Basically I used these magical balls to wish you guys back. I wished the whole planet back to the way it was before Frieza destroyed it.”

Gine sat down as well. Goku looked between the two of them. His dad had many similar features to him, almost identical hair, similar heights and builds, but Goku thought his face was more like his mom’s.

“Kakarot, what happened to you? We never got to know if you were safe or alive—“ her voice broke a little, it all still seemed fresh to her.

“I ended up on a planet called Earth. I was taken in by one of the people there, Gohan. He named me Goku.”

“A new name? Why didn’t you tell him yours?” Bardock asked.

“Oh, right. I kind of had an accident when I was little and hit my head. I guess it messed with my memory. I...didn’t remember any of this stuff, actually. That I was from a different planet and all. I didn’t find out until way later, when Raditz showed up—“

The second the name left his mouth, he regretted it.

“Raditz is still alive? Where is he? Is he here?” Gine asked.

“Uh, well, no. When he came to Earth, he took my son. He was trying to force me to leave my family and friends and join him under Frieza. He tried to kill me. I had to— I’m sorry.”

There was an awful silence.

“He took your son?” Bardock asked. Goku nodded. “I’d probably have killed him too.”

“I can wish him back! Maybe seeing you guys would help.” He said.

“What do you mean by ‘wishing?’” Gine asked.

“Hm, where to start?”

“You could have brought us back all this time and you never did?” King Vegeta roared.

“Things changed, father. The universe no longer has room for this sort of theft and brutality anymore. I had no need for it either. I have my own life, my own family, and I—“

“Family? You _bred_ with them? You diluted your Saiyan blood?”

In all the chaos, Vegeta had actually forgotten that his family was forbidden.

“What does it matter? There were no Saiyans left. Your outdated ideas of purity served me no use. Besides, you and I both know that even a pure Saiyan may not fit your ideals. You remember how you banished my brother Tarble and told everyone he was born ill and died, don’t you? Or how you banished Broly for being stronger than you? They both survived, if you’re curious.”

“You are a disgrace to our royal bloodline and to the Saiyan race!” The King slammed his fist onto his throne. “I challenge you to a Bloodline Trial.”

“What are your son’s names?” Gine asked.

“Gohan and Goten. Here, I think I have pictures.” Goku pulled his phone from his belt and pulled up the pictures.

“Aw, that little one looks just like you!” She giggled. “And that older one...you know, he kind of has Bardock’s eyes, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, I see it.”

“Who’d have thought. I’m a grandpa.” Bardock said.

“Actually, you’re a great-grandpa. Here’s Gohan’s daughter Pan.”

“Now I feel old.”

A knock sounded at the door.

“Bardock, you gotta come check this out! There’s gonna be a Bloodline Trial!” Someone called.

Bardock sat up.

“That’s not good.” He said.

“What’s a Bloodline Trial?” Goku asked.

“Means the King and the next in line for the throne, that’d be your buddy Vegeta, are battling for the crown.” Bardock said as he stood.

“He’s _what_?”

By the time Goku found his way into the arena, he came upon a strange scene. The crowd was silent, everyone staring in shock and confusion. In the ring, King Vegeta lay mangled and unconscious. Vegeta was glowing in his Super Saiyan form. He didn’t look like a pleased victor. He looked empty.

It was a couple hours later that Goku was able to find Vegeta again. The King—the former king—was taken for intensive care. Vegeta—the former Prince, now King—was in a room in the palace.

“Vegeta! What is going on here?”

“My father found out about my family. He challenged me to a Bloodline Trial. I won.” Vegeta said all of this through gritted teeth.

“Why? Couldn’t you have just said no?”

“He’d have killed my family. Mixed blood is forbidden.”

“Now what? Are you just going to leave everyone behind? Stay here and be the king like you always wanted—“

Vegeta interrupted him with a scream.

“I never wanted any of this! I never asked you to wish this planet back! Do you have any idea how long it took me to grieve all of this and let it go? I had one bad day, that’s all.”

“But—can’t you leave? Appoint a different king?”

“Are you completely stupid? No, I cannot just appoint a king. These laws are set in stone, it has to be a blood relative, a male descendent of the Vegeta line. Do you know anyone who fits that description who would be willing to come and lead a society that has been dead for 30 years, because I sure as hell don’t!”

“S-so...what...”

“I stay here and rule, or...” Vegeta hesitated.

“Or I undo this wish.” Goku finished the thought.

Goku felt numb as he stepped outside. He didn’t want to imagine life without Vegeta. He was his best friend, someone he cared about deeply. But he had just met his parents, and he actually liked them, too. He didn’t want to go back to pretending they never existed.

“Kakarot?” Gine’s voice found him.

“Everything okay?” Bardock asked.

They went back to their house and Goku explained the situation.

“Who’d have imagined the little bastard would grow up to be so noble?” Bardock said.

“He’s worked so hard to be a good person. He would never leave his family behind like this. I don’t know what to do.”

“What would happen if you wished the planet away again?” Gine asked.

“You would go back to...where you were before. The whole planet would be gone again.”

“But we would remember?”

“Yeah.”

“It was a good run.” Bardock said.

“What? No, I can’t. You guys are alive now, if I wished you all dead again it would be like I killed you all.”

“We were dead for 30 years. We’re supposed to be dead. Besides, this was some nice closure. I got to know that in all my life I did at least one thing right. That’s more than most people get.”

“No!” Goku cried. “You don’t understand. I was afraid to even think of you guys for so long. I didn’t know what you’d be like or if you’d even care about me—but now that I’ve met you guys, I don’t want to go back.”

“I know, Kakarot. We don’t want to either. But it’s what’s right. Vegeta is still alive. He has a family and responsibilities. And you care about him, don’t you?” Gine asked.

“Yeah. I really do.”

“We’ll be fine. It’s not so bad.” Bardock said.

Vegeta sat in his throne. Somewhere he had dreamed of sitting for so long. But it was miserable. He missed his home. His wife’s smile, Trunks causing trouble, Bulla’s tiny laugh.

He flinched when Goku appeared in the room through instant transmission.

“Come on,” He said. Vegeta stood.

“Kakarot...”

“I can’t—let’s just hurry. Please.” Goku’s voice broke. Vegeta stepped forward and put his hand on Goku’s shoulder.

The entire trip collecting the Dragon Balls was silent. Vegeta could see how conflicted Goku was. He felt guilty knowing Goku was in this position.

“Almighty Shenron, come forth!” With a brilliant flash in a darkened sky, the great dragon appeared. “I wish for Planet Vegeta to be gone again, and all the people on it returned to the Otherworld where they belong.”

“Your wish is granted.”

“I have no more wishes.”

The Dragon Balls dispersed.

“Kakarot...thank you.” Vegeta said hoarsely. Almost as soon as he said it, Goku fell to his knees. He screamed, an awful cry of anguish. Not rage or pain but pure grief. He punched the earth, gritting his teeth to stop the tears from falling down his face. Vegeta lowered himself to Goku’s level, sitting on the ground beside him.

They didn’t speak again until the sun came up.

(This fic was written for [kakabeji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kakabeji). If you liked this story and want to know how to get one of your very own, check me out [here](https://chi-chi-mcroberts.tumblr.com/post/627008462566653952))


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